As of March 31, Air Serbia will be expanding its flight operations to 15 destinations, including Russia, in efforts to enhance air connectivity between the two countries. The Serbian flag carrier plans to add new destinations in Russia, such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kazan, operating 19 flights per week from Serbia to the Russian capital. Additionally, Air Serbia will be adding new connections to Bucharest, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Thessaloniki, Palma de Mallorca, Corfu, Milan, Venice, Valencia, Madrid, and Lisbon.
In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, there has been a significant influx of Ukrainian and Russian people immigrating to Serbia. According to the EU Commission, 219,000 people entered Serbia between February 2022 to June 2023, with 153 of them being Russian citizens. However, the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that the actual number is much higher, with 370,000 people entering Serbia and 30,000 Russians receiving temporary residence permits as of April 2023.
Following the Russian war in Ukraine, Russian nationals have been subjected to sanctions across all European countries, prohibiting them from visiting Europe. Many Russians have turned to Turkey and Serbia as gateways to Europe. The Russian and Ukrainian communities in Turkey have seen a significant increase, with Russian short-term residents in Turkey reaching 145,092, although there has been a slight decline due to wealthy Russians acquiring Turkish passports and relocating elsewhere.
In light of the ongoing migration concerns, many European countries, including Finland, have imposed restrictions on Russian citizens. Finland has decided to keep its eastern border closed until February 11, 2024, prohibiting any border crossings to or from Russia. This restriction also includes the submission of applications for international protection at any border crossing points on the land border between Finland and Russia.
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